The sports sedan segment of the 2000s was awash with varying manufacturers offering four-door products with power-laden engines often burdening their rear wheels with the sole responsibility of all of their power. The BMW E60 M5, Mercedes-AMG C63, Audi RS6, and Cadillac CTS-V are all poignant examples of the epitome of the performance-focused sedan segment of yore.
Now, years later, the landscape of the sports sedan market has changed drastically. Over the years, manufacturers have changed the formula of their rowdy four-door road warriors. Some were neutered, and stripped of the asphalt-punishing power plants relying on old-school muscle, now motivated by advanced hybrid technology and engines half the size of their forebears.
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Although V8s and V10s were all the rage in the 2000s and 2010s, the turbocharged V6 niche had more than a handful of contenders, such as the 2002 Audi S4, Saab 9-3 Turbo X, and, in later years, Cadillac ATS-V. Now, only Cadillac’s badge remains, with the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing serving as the pallbearer of the niche segment. It is the only twin-turbocharged V6-powered rear-wheel-drive sedan in the USA that allows its drivers to row through gears themselves.
The Last Of Its Kind
Engine
3.6-liter, twin-turbocharged, V6
Horsepower
472 hp @ 5,750 rpm
Torque
445 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph
4.1 seconds
The V-Series is the pinnacle of Cadillac’s modern petrol-powered high-performance offerings. Both models, the CT4-V Blackwing and its larger counterpart, the CT5-V Blackwing, are the most potent and fastest Cadillac production models for their respective categories. The Blackwing suffix denotes a more performance-focused package than the standard model and first appeared in 2022. The CT4-V and CT4-V Blackwing share the same platform, the GM Alpha 2 platform, but the main difference, which is the highlight of the Blackwing model, is the powertrain. The CT4-V employs a 2.7-liter turbocharged in-line four-cylinder, paired with a 10-speed automatic, and produces 323 hp and 380 lb-ft. The in-line four-cylinder and automatic transmission allow the lower-ranking CT4-V model to sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
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The engine utilized by the high-ranking CT4-V derivative is Cadillac’s 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged LFY engine. The core components of this engine are the cast aluminum engine block and aluminum cylinder heads shrouding a forged steel crankshaft and cast iron camshafts. The Ct4-V Blackwing’s engine is an evolved variation of Cadillac’s twin-turbo V6 engine platform, utilized in the preceding ATS-V model. Compared to the ATS-V, the engine in the CT4-V Blackwing features revised management system software and an improved air intake system. The operating characteristics of the turbochargers in the LFY engine were also revised, intended to offer peak efficiency at the engine’s peak power for better performance. Cadillac’s updates to the 3.6-liter V6 allows the CT4-V to command an output of 472 hp and 445 lb-ft, which is only 8 hp more than the final iteration of the ATS-V.
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One of the distinguishing features of the CT4-V Blackwing’s powertrain, aside from the engine, is the six-speed manual transmission, which is standard for the Blackwing models. The six-speed transmission is a TREMEC transmission utilizing a twin-disc clutch. Cadillac has also employed a no-lift-shift system in the CT4-V Blackwing, which allows the driver to continue through the six gears without lifting off the accelerator, thereby keeping the turbochargers spooled. Cadillac’s 187.6-inch long subcompact sedan, weighing 3851 lbs, is supported by a MacPherson front strut suspension system and a five-link rear suspension system.
Representing the pinnacle of Cadillac’s subcompact sedan offerings, the CT4-V’s future is uncertain as the company moves toward a more electrified future that will still include ICE cars. For now, the public can still buy a 2025 model year version of the twin-turbocharged V6 rear-wheel-drive sedan.
Six-Cylinder Sedan Segment Still Standing Strong
Although the CT4-V Blackwing is the last of its kind in America, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t compete with anything in the US market.
Dodge Charger
One of the contenders for the 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing could be the upcoming ICE Charger, slated for arrival in 2025. Dodge discontinued its beloved Charger and Challenger models that employed hulking and brutish Hemi V8s. In place of the outgoing internal combustion engine Charger, Dodge offered the all-electric Dodge Daytona. Unsurprisingly, the reception to this model was far from ideal and the appeal of the V6-powered Charger, still available on dealership lots, hasn’t improved since the V8-powered models were laid to rest. However, a new Charger model will be unveiled next year with the Hurricane six-cylinder engine at the core of both two- and four-door configurations. These new Charger models will be offered bearing the new “SixPack” moniker.
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The Hurricane engine is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder capable of 550 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque in its high-output configuration. At the same time, a lower rating and less power-laden “standard output” model will be afforded 420 horsepower. The inline six-cylinder engine is significantly lighter (441 lbs for the high-output variant) than the Hemi V8s. Power will be sent to all four corners through an all-wheel-drive system, but Dodge may bring an RWD model into the fold at a later date.
G80 M3
BMW produces some of the most acclaimed and performance-inclined six-cylinder engines. The latest generation of the M3 moniker makes use of the twin-turbocharged S58 engine to muster 473 hp and 406 lb-ft in the non-competition configuration and is paired with a 6-speed manual. Since the G80 M3 was unveiled, the power of the six-cylinder it employs has remained undisturbed, whereas the Competition model with the 8-speed automatic and xDrive has recently had its power raised to 523 hp. Compared to the CT4-V Blackwing, the manual non-Competition M3 is a dead ringer as one of its forefront contenders in the six-cylinder sports sedan segment.
Audi RS5 Sportback
One of the few similarities between the Audi RS5 Sportback and the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is the engine configuration and forced induction system. The RS5 Sportback employs a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that produces less power than the Cadillac. The 444 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque produced by the V6 engine are not exclusively sent to the rear wheels like the CT4-V or G80 M3, but to all four corners of the Sportback frame via the quattro system. The RS5’s engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission instead of a manual box. Although lacking raw power in comparison to the other models in this article, the RS5’s all-wheel-drive system allows it to achieve 60 mph from a standstill start in 3.4 seconds, quicker than the CT4-V BLackwing and G80 M3. It’s worth noting that the RS5 Sportback is the most expensive of the bunch, starting at $81,195, while the M3 and baby Blackwing start at $77,175 and $63,590 respectively.